Finally shot my K-31. Neat!

[theperfessor]

Since the University where I work was closed Wednesday, I took the opportunity to go shooting with one of my former (graduated) students. Took my M624 (.44 spcl), 629 (.44 mag), 10 (.38 spcl) and K-31. Local gendarmes were using the rifle range for training so we contented ourselves with shooting handguns in another bay for an hour and a half. Adam brought his .40 Baby Eagle and a new Taurus .38 5 shot bobbed hammer airweight snubby. Don't know the model number but it shot fine. Good comradely fun, burned up several hundred rounds.

The LEOs finally left just as we were getting tired, so we moved over to the rifle range. Mostly I just wanted to make sure my K-31 would function properly and get on paper so we set up a target at 50 yards. Ammo was Privi Partisan FMJ. I shot five to get familiar with functioning, Adam shot five. Then I moved to a fresh target and shot ten rounds. Shooting was done off an improvised rest. Resulting group was about 1.5" wide and about 3" tall. The group was dead on line laterally and about 1.5" above point of aim.

I feel sure the vertical stringing came from glare off top of rear sight. Easy to hold post in middle of rear notch, not so easy to keep top of front sight level with top of rear sight.

Mechanically, the gun functioned flawlessly.

Now I know you experienced shooters will probably laugh at this range and group size but I was ecstatic. You see, I'm not really a rifle shooter and have never claimed to be. But I have shot my BIL's Garand, Adam's .223 Ruger semiauto carbine, and my 45/70 1895 Marlin. Never did this good when shooting "cold" using open iron sights.

I think I'm going to like this rifle. Once I burn up four more boxes of Privi/Wolf ammo and I have 100 empty cases I plan to turn this into a cast-only rifle. I've read all the links here and elsewhere concerning loading and accurizing for a K-31 so I have all the information I need.

Sorry to post something this boring but I just felt like sharing.

[scrapcan]

Glad to hear you had a good day. I am also glad to hear the you divulged to your students that you were a shooter/reloader/firearms type person.

about a year ago I found out that a professor I had while in college (BS and MS courses under him) was a shooter/reloader/gun nut. Man had I know that much earlier I may have got better grades (not really as I did quite well as he was a good teacher and easy to learn from). He has since retired and moved about 200 miles away.

[45nut]

Sharing is what the board is ALL about.

I enjoy exactly this type of thread since my shooting has been non-existent since I got hurt.

[theperfessor]

Adam and another student did their capstone/senior project last Spring w/me as their advisor. We built a Universal receiver and chambered first barrel in .45 ACP, shot off a primer-only load during their oral presentation. Haven't posted anything about it because we didn't finish the instrumentation but I am still working on it and hope to be able to finish it as time and money become available.

Everybody, including President of University know I am a gun crank. Our Dean told another faculty member from our department who purchased high speed digital camera "not to let Benedict know about it or he'll be using it to take pictures of bullets in basement of Tech Center". Joke is I helped write specs for camera just for that very reason!

When I was younger students tried to bribe me for better grades with promises of booze and sex. Now that I'm an old fart they try to bribe me with scrap lead and diet Dr. Pepper.

Ken, hang in there buddy.

[scrapcan]

Perfessor,

So you guys did get good use out of the 45acp chamber prints. Did you or are you going to put a piezo gage orsome method of reading pressure? Hopefully in psi?

[theperfessor]

Adding instrumentation is the next step. The receiver is adaptable to several different pressure sensing methods. I had planned to make the pieces to set it up using the old crusher method last summer but had some health issues and just couldn't do it. This is lowest cost option.

It can also be adapted to using piezoelectric sensors but what I really want to do is set it up with fiber optic strain gauges that use laser interferometry. Ultra fast response, long life, and other good features but the sensors and electronic interface is a bit pricey, hoping prices come down as they become more widely used.

I have access to proper equipment to be able to calibrate gauge to correlate output with a pressure in any unit system including psi.

If you were the guy that gave me link to chamber specs I really appreciate it. I didn't use chambering reamer, I just bored out chamber with a single point tool and polished it out. Same with throat using compound to cut throat angle. That's one reason first test was with a straight wall case.

[rickster]

Gotta luv those K31s. Mine are scary accurate with Swiss ammo. IIRC I was shooting 1.5 inch groups at 100yds with the original sights. Maybe it wasnt quite that good, but I remember for sure that I was shooting better than I can see. My only problem with them is having to move my head to the side each time to keep the ring on the back of the bolt from hitting my nose as I pulled the bolt back.

[MtGun44]

You will learn to really appreciate the quality of the K31 the more you use it. VERY well made
piece of equipment.

Sounds like your pressure gun is a cool project, too. Hope you get over the problem that
prevented the copper crusher system manufacturing. Do you have a source for the
design of a copper crusher system? Might make a fun lathe/mill project when I retire.

Bill

[NuJudge]

I have one K31 that likes cast, and one that likes jacketed. If the barrel on your K31 has not been shot much, you may have some difficulty with bullets. The land diameter is a bit smaller than US standard.

I've shot a lot of the RCBS 165gr Silhouette. I thought it was going to be a little light, but it has shot really well out to 200 yards.

CDD

[theperfessor]

I got in on a group buy last year for a 165 gr GC bullet that is supposed to be designed specifically for the K-31. It is what I plan to use after I put the 100 rounds of Wolf and Privi FMJs through it. The gun appears to have a really smooth bore, so I think it will work OK with cast.

The gun was made in 1954, the year I was born, which is one reason I went back to gunship and bought it. It's like me, a little beat up on the outside but still working OK where it matters. Metal is in great shape but the stock is beat up at both ends, apparently due to the way the gun is carried in service.

I've held off posting much about pressure gun as it isn't finished but I would be glad to post a picture and brief commentary in new thread if anyone would be interested.